Kevin de Bruyne shines as Manchester City thrash Crystal Palace 5-2 in Champions League push
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Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne celebrates after scoring their first goal against Crystal Palace in an EPL game on April 12.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANCHESTER – As Kevin de Bruyne prepares to leave Manchester City, he added more memorable moments to his decade-long highlight reel by leading them to a remarkable 5-2 comeback victory over Crystal Palace on April 12.
Pep Guardiola’s team faced a significant threat to their Champions League aspirations when they fell behind to goals from Eberechi Eze and Chris Richards.
In his first home game since confirming his departure at the end of the season, de Bruyne delivered a captivating performance reminiscent of his status as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, despite his recent struggles with injuries.
The Belgian midfielder, who has been at City since 2015, netted a free kick to spark the revival before Omar Marmoush equalised three minutes later.
Mateo Kovacic converted de Bruyne’s assist to put City ahead after the interval and goals from youngsters James McAtee and Nico O’Reilly sealed the escape act.
“Kevin with a free kick changed the momentum,” Guardiola told TNT Sports when asked what sparked City’s comeback. “We scored two and after the second half started, our next two goals were quick. We could have scored eight or nine easy... The work ethic, the way we played was really good.”
The only concern for Guardiola was an injury to Ederson that forced the City goalkeeper to come off in the second half.
City had dropped out of the top five after Newcastle United’s win at Leicester City on April 7, but this victory lifted them into fourth place.
Sixth-placed Chelsea will go back above them if they beat struggling Ipswich Town on April 13, however, while seventh-placed Newcastle are only two points behind and have two games in hand.
Guardiola’s side found themselves trailing after just eight minutes when Ismaila Sarr’s low cross saw Eze finish with ease at the far post.
City were in disarray at the back and Oliver Glasner’s men punished them again in the 21st minute.
Ederson failed to make contact with his attempt to punch clear from Adam Wharton’s corner and Richards muscled in front of Ruben Dias to head home from close range.
Semi-automated offside technology, making its Premier League debut this weekend, overturned a third goal for Crystal Palace after Eze completed another fluid team move.
Following this, de Bruyne delivered a masterful performance, showcasing glimpses of his former brilliance.
The key for the Belgian’s revival was being able to stay pain-free.
“Having a hernia was not much fun but I’ve been pain-free for the past six weeks and that’s made a big difference,” he told TNT Sports. “It was hard but now... I’m able to do a lot of training sessions.”
The 33-year-old rolled back the years to inspire City’s fightback, serving notice with a ferocious 25-metre strike that cannoned back off the post. In the 33rd minute, he reduced the deficit, lashing a thunderous free kick past Dean Henderson via the post.
Three minutes later, it was 2-2 as de Bruyne’s header from McAtee’s cross went to Ilkay Gundogan, whose sliced effort reached Marmoush, allowing him to drive in his seventh goal since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window.
City’s comeback was complete two minutes into the second half as Gundogan and O’Reilly combined to find de Bruyne and his pass was perfectly weighted for Kovacic to drill past Henderson.
After 12 substitute appearances, McAtee marked his first Premier League start for City with a goal in the 56th minute.
Ederson launched a high punt downfield and McAtee sprinted through the statuesque Palace defence, rounded Henderson and tapped into an empty net. It was the Brazilian goalkeeper’s fourth assist of the season.
O’Reilly capped the rout with his first league goal for City in the 79th minute as the 20-year-old volleyed home from the edge of the area.
In other matches, third-placed Nottingham Forest lost 1-0 at home to Everton as Abdoulaye Doucoure netted a stoppage-time winner, while Leicester stayed in 19th spot despite ending an eight-match losing run with a 2-2 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion. AFP, REUTERS
